CORRELATES OF SEX OFFENDER AND OFFENSE TRAITS BY VICTIM AGE

The authors studied offender, offense, and victim characteristics acco rding to victim age cohort among a sample of over 800 incarcerated sex offenders. Their findings were somewhat different from those previous ly reported, and suggest that rapists of adults were more psychopathic , sexual assailants against adolescents appeared to be more typical fa mily men, and child molesters were more opportunistic chronic sex offe nders. The authors believe their findings begin to shed light on the n ature of sex crimes committed against victims of different age.